Interactive electronic device with optical page identification system

• US 8,594,557 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Taylor, John W., Meade, James P., Cimerman, Christopher D., Ernst, Stephen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US13/156,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20110236869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 434/353, 434/350, 434/322
• US Class Current: 434/317
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/062 Combinations of audio and printed presentations, e.g. magnetically striped cards, talking books, magnetic tapes with printed texts thereon

Abstract

An electronic learning device for receiving a book having a plurality of successive page spreads, at least one page spread having selectable content and an optically readable page identifier. The device includes a housing configured to receive the book, a position sensor in the housing configured to determine the location of the selectable content on the at least one page spread, an optical sensor in the housing configured to irradiate and detect the page identifier on the at least one page spread and control electronics in the housing operatively coupled to the optical sensor and to the position sensor and configured to synchronize sequential operation of the position sensor and the optical sensor.

Claims

1. An electronic learning device for receiving a book having a plurality of successive page spreads, at least one page spread having selectable content and a page spread identifier, the device comprising:

a housing with an upper surface configured to receive the book;

a plurality of at least touch-responsive, mutually adjoining individual position sensors organized in a two-dimensional array in the housing beneath the upper surface;

a plurality of individual optical sensors located in the housing beneath the upper surface so as to face the page spread identifier of the received book, each optical sensor including an optical emitter;

a microprocessor controller in the housing generating control signals identifying each individual position sensor and each individual optical sensor in a sequence for sequential activation of the individual position and optical sensors; and

a driver circuit in the housing receiving the control signals from the microprocessor controller, the driver circuit being connected with each individual position sensor of the array and with each individual optical sensor of the plurality and being configured to respond to the control signals from the microprocessor controller to activate the individual position sensors of the array and the individual optical emitters in the sequence.

2. The electronic learning device of claim 1 further comprising an oscillating signal generator outputting a signal oscillating at a radio frequency rate and wherein the driver circuit is connected with the oscillating signal generator and is configured to operably connect the oscillating signal generator with each individual position sensor of the array and each individual sensor of the optical sensor plurality in the sequence.

3. The electronic learning device of claim 2 wherein the driver circuit is configured to operably connect the oscillating signal generator to each individual position sensor of the array and to each individual sensor of the optical sensor plurality by outputting to each individual position sensor and to each individual optical sensor, an activation signal oscillating at the radio frequency rate.

4. The electronic learning device of claim 2 wherein each individual sensor of the optical sensor plurality includes a detector to detect light from the emitter and wherein the driver circuit applies the oscillating signal from the oscillating signal generator to the emitter of each optical sensor in the sequence whereby each optical sensor emitter is driven in oscillation at the radio frequency rate.

5. The electronic learning device of claim 2 wherein the driver circuit comprises at least one digital decoder chip simultaneously connected with the controller, the oscillating signal generator, a set of the plurality of individual optical sensors and a set of the plurality of individual position sensors.

6. The electronic learning device of claim 1 further comprising a detector circuit operably connected between the controller and the plurality of individual position sensors and the plurality of individual optical sensors and configured to detect operation of a set of the plurality of individual position sensors and a set of the plurality of the optical sensors driven by the driver circuit in sequence.

7. The electronic learning device of claim 6 wherein the detector circuit is operably connected with the set of the plurality of individual position sensors and with the set of the plurality of individual optical sensors through a single input line shared by the set of the plurality of individual position sensors and the set of the plurality of individual optical sensors.

8. The electronic learning device of claim 7 further comprising an analog to digital converter operably connecting all of the plurality of position sensors and all of the plurality of optical sensors with the controller through the detector circuit.

9. An electronic learning device comprising:

a page having an optical identification code and selectable content;

a housing configured to support the page;

an optical sensor located in the housing so as to irradiate and detect the optical identification code;

a position sensor separate from the optical sensor and located in the housing so as to detect a location of content selected from the selectable content;

a controller in the housing operatively connected directly with the optical sensor and with the position sensor and configured to sequence synchronize the irradiation and detection of the optical identification code with the detection of the location of the selected selectable content; and

an audible output device controlled by the controller to produce an audible response associated with the selectable content in response to the page being supported by the housing and selectable content from the page being selected.

10. The electronic learning device according to claim 9, wherein the position sensor comprises a plurality of at least touch-responsive, mutually adjoining individual position sensors organized in a two-dimensional array for selectable content selection location and wherein the optical sensor comprises a separate plurality of individual optical sensors configured for page identification.

11. The electronic learning device according to claim 10 further comprising a driver circuit operably connected with each of the plurality of individual position sensors and with each of the plurality of individual optical sensors to identify and sequentially activate each of the plurality of individual position sensors and each of the plurality of individual optical sensors.

12. The electronic learning device according to claim 11 further comprising an oscillating signal generator outputting an oscillating signal oscillating at a radio frequency rate and operably connected with the optical sensors by the driver circuit for sequential activation of the optical sensors with an activation signal oscillating at the radio frequency rate.

13. The electronic learning device according to claim 12 wherein each individual optical sensor has an emitter and wherein the driver circuit applies the activation signal to the emitter of each individual optical sensor in sequence to drive each optical sensor emitter at the radio frequency rate with the activation signal for operation.

14. The electronic learning device according to claim 11 wherein the oscillating signal generator is operably connected with each of the plurality of individual position sensors by the driver circuit for sequential activation of the individual position sensors with an activation signal.

15. The electronic learning device according to claim 14 wherein each individual position sensor has an emitter and wherein the activation signal is applied by the driver circuit to the emitter of each individual position sensor in sequence and drives each emitter of each individual position sensor for operation at a radio frequency rate.

16. The electronic learning device according to claim 11 wherein the position sensor is formed by an array of separate and separated first and second sets of generally parallel, individual conductive lines transversely crossing over each other beneath an upper surface of the housing, and wherein the driver circuit operably connects the radio frequency oscillating signal generator with individual conductive lines of the first set of the position sensor to enable sequence synchronized operation of the individual conductive lines of the first set of the position sensor.

17. The electronic learning device according to claim 9 further comprising a digital decoder operably connected with the optical sensor to enable sequential irradiation of the optical identification code.

18. The electronic learning device according to claim 9 further comprising a radio frequency oscillating signal generator operably with the optical sensor to drive the optical sensor at a radio frequency rate to irradiate the optical identification code.